Sheet laying-on device



7 y 931. A. BU.|'TNER 1,314,021

SHEET LAYING-ON DEVICE Filed Sept. 10. 1929 2 Sheets-Shee l flu e12 tor.- flz'iur 12am i650 zzey.

July 14, 1931. A. BUTTNER SHEET LAYING-ON DEVICE Filed Sept. 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Shee 2 1 M NN (finer N Q mwiw \Q R LH \m I Q Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTUR IBIITTNER, OF HEIDELBERG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SCHNELLPRESSEN- FABRIK AKTIENGESEIJLSCHAFT HEIDELBERG, OF HEIDELBERG, GERMANY SHE-ET LAYING-N DEVICE Application filed-September 10, 1929, Serial No. 391,639, and in Germany Angust 28, 1929.

My invention relates to an apparatus for the laying-on of sheetsof paper, and is ntended for use especially in connection with printing presses, but can be used also in connection with other machines designed for the working or working-up of paper. The 1nvention relates to laying-on apparatus of that type in which the sheet of paper to be worked, for instance imprinted, is taken off a pile by W means of a so-called suction head or a gripper or the like and is conveyed by the respective member to the press or other machine. In order to present the sheet at the place where the working is to take place, for instance at the printing surface, in accurate position it is indispensably requisite that the position of the sheets of paper upon the p1le is accurately the same with all sheets, but as the sheets are never out so accurately that, especially if the pile is somewhat high, they all contact correctly with the aligning abutment members, it can occur and occurs that the sheets when being lifted off the pile are in different positions. This is detrimental as regards the lying-on and that is disturbing especially when printing with several colors.

Now the object of the present invention is to overcome the just mentioned drawback and I attain that object by the provision of a device by which every sheet, prior to being lifted from the pile by the suction heads or grippers etc. is shoved towards and against the aligning abutment members so as to be shifted into an absolutely correct position.

In order to render that device or mechanism as simple as possible I prefer to connect it with the suction heads or their equivalents or other members or parts moved intermittently up and down.

The arrangement and combination of the parts is such a one that the actuating member proper contacts from above with the uppermost sheet and shifts it towards and against the abutment members prior to the ill) suction member or the equivalent thereof contacting with that sheet.

I prefer to make use of a double-armed lever the free end of one arm of which is provided with a member consisting of rubber and which is lifted together with the suction member or the equivalent thereof, the arm carrying the rubber being, however, at the same time moved downwardly towards the uppermost sheet of paper, and when the suction member or its equivalent is lowered, said rubber member contacts with said sheet in such a manner that the sheet is shifted against the abutment members; this takes place prior to the suction member or its equivalent contacting with the said sheet.

The double-armed lever mentioned in the preceding paragraph is arranged upon its pivot or axle preferably in such a manner that its plane of oscillation stands obliquely with respect to the two medium axles of the sheet. lVhen thus arranged, the lever exerts a pushing action upon the sheet, the direction of this action lying in a diagonal of the same, whereby the sheet is shifted towards and against the abutment members, as will appear from the detailed description followmg.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically and by way of example on the accompanying drawings, on which Figure 1 is a side-view of the device, some parts being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a front-view, in which some of the driving members shown in Fig. 1 are omitted; and

Figure 3 is a plan.

On the drawings, 1 denotes a frame in which a rod 2 can be vertically moved by means of a lever 3 (Fig. 1) which in turn is movable on an axle 4 and supports on a pivot 5 a roll 6 running upon a cam disc 7. The forked end 8 of the lever 3 is engaged by a pin 9 affixed to the lower end of the vertically guided rod 2.

At the upper end of this rod is a block 10 in which is supported an axle 11 supporting by means of a hose with an air-pump (not shown), and on the tube 13 are supported the suction members 15 which .lift the individual sheets of paper from the pile 17 resting in known manner on the laying-on table 16.

The lower arm 12 of the two-armed carrier 12 is connected by a link 18 with a pivot 19 that is adjustable in height. This pivot is located at the end of a lever 19 supported at 19 in a rojection 1 of the frame 1, and in its midd e portion it is connected with a vertically adjustable rod 19 passing through a lug 1" of the frame 1 and carrying two nuts 19* and 19 by means of which the members 19 1 9 and 19 can be adjusted and fixed in their adjusted position.

' When the tube 13 is lifted together with the suction members by means of the rod 2,

i the sheet is lifted off the pile so that it can be seized b the grippers or their equivalents and can e conveyed to the machine by and in which it is to be worked. When the suction members are moved upwardly, the doublearmed lever 12 12 is turned owing to the connection of its arm 12 with the link 18, and by reason of this movement the tube 13 with the suction members is moved in the direction to the place where the sheets are to be delivered.

The arrangement and combination of parts described in the just preceding paragraphs is generally known and does not form a part of this invention. I have shown and described it solely in order to render the invention proper better intelligible.

Now, in order to have the uppermost sheet of paper lie always accurately at the same place when it is to be seized by the suction members or their equivalents, there are provided at the pile-carrying table 16 abutment members 20 and 21 located at the front edge and at the righthand side thereof. If the uppermost sheet is in its proper position, its front edge and its righthand edge must contact with said abutment members. This is the object in view, and to attain it the following arrangement and combination of parts has been designed.

From the block 10 extends upwardly and forwardly an arm 10 to which is secured a horizontal rod 22 extending over the pile of the sheets of paper. This rod carries a casing 23 which is shiftable, i. e. adjustable on it and can be fixed in its adjusted position. For this purpose the rod 22 is provided with a longitudinal groove 24 which ,is engaged by the lower end of a clamping screw 25. The position of the casing 23 upon the guide rod 22 to which it can be clamped fast by the screw 25 depends upon the size of the sheets laying upon the table 16.

In the casing 23 a double-armed lever 27 can be turned upon an obliquel disposed axle 26 in such a manner that it hes obliquely with respect to the two middle axes of the sheet, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the end 27 of the lever 27 is arranged a piece or member 28 of rubber or an equivalent material, and this end of said lever is subjected to the pressure of a helical spring 21, the tension of which can be regulated by means of a screw 30, so that the rubber piece 28 bears upon the sheets, or upon the uppermost sheet respectively, with a greater or smaller pressure according to the regulation of the spring, the adjustment of which is made dependent upon the thickness of the sheets.

The end 27 2 of the lever 27 contacts, when the rubber piece or finger 28 is moved downwardly, with an adjusting screw 31 by which likewise the pressure of said finger upon the sheet is determined or regulated. The manner of operation of the device is as follows:

When the tube 13 with the suction members thereon is moved upwardly by the rod 2, also the guide rod 22 with the casing 23 and the lever 27 are moved upwardly. As the suction members, before they are lifted, have sucked and firmly hold the upper sheet, the raising finger 28 cannot draw the sheet away from the guides 20, 21. Now the suction members convey the uppermost sheet to the grippers or their equivalents which is possible as at this time the rubber finger 28 is remote from the pile. As soon as the suction members are moved downwardly, the rubber finger touches the uppermost sheet, and owing to the continued downward movement of the casing 23 the axle 26 of the lever 27 approaches the pile, and the finger 28 is shifted along upon the uppermost sheet in the direction indicated by the arrow I in Fig. 3, whereby that sheet is shifted towards and against the abutment members 20 and 21; this takes place prior to the suction members 15 having been moved down upon the sheet. It is obvious that the said sheet is now in absolutely correct position and will be conveyed away in this position.

Instead of lifting and lowering the lever 27 in timed correspondence with the suction members, it may be lifted and lowered also in timed correspondence with a feeling ledge 32 (Fig. 3) which is moved down upon the uppermost sheet and initiates in known manner the lifting of the laying-on table with the pile in correspondence with the decrease of the height of the same.

I claim:

1. A sheet laying-on device, especially for use in connection with printing presses, comprising, in combination with the table supporting the pile of sheets, aligning abutments provided at said table, and vertically reciprocating means for conveying the uppermost sheet to the place of use, means for shifting this sheet towards and against said abutment members prior to the action of the conveying means, these means comprising a vertically movable pusher so arranged as to be adapted to be moved in a plane standing obliquely with respect to the two middle axes of the uppermost sheet, and to contact with, and shift thereafter, said sheet.

2. A sheet laying-on device, especially for use in connection with printing presses, comprising, in combination with the table supporting the pile of sheets, aligning abutments provided at said table, and vertically reciprocating means for conveying the uppermost sheet to the place of use, means for shifting this sheet towards and against said abutment members prior to the action of the conveying means, these means comprising a lever so arranged as to be adapted to be reciprocated in a vertical plane located obliquely with respect to the two middle axes of the uppermost sheet, and to contact with, and shift thereafter, said sheet.

3. A sheet laying-0n device, especially for use in connection with printing presses, comprising, in combination with the table supporting the pile of sheets, aligning abutments provided at said table, and vertically reciprocating means for conveying the uppermost sheet to the place of use, means for shifting this sheet towards and against said abutment members prior to the action of the conveying means, these means comprising a lever so arranged as to be adapted to be reciprocated in a vertical plane located obliquely with respect to the middle axes of the uppermost sheet, and means for pressing the operating end of said lever onto said sheet. I 4. A sheet laying-on device,'especially for use in connection with printing presses, comprising, in combination with the table supporting the pile of sheets, aligning abutments provided at said table, and vertically reciprocating means for conveying the uppermost sheet to the place of use, means for shifting this sheet towards and againstsaid abutment members prior-to the action of the this sheet towards and against said abutment members prior to the action of the con-. .veying means, these means comprising a lever so arranged as to be adapted to be reciprocated in a vertical plane located obliquely with respect to the middle axes of the uppermost sheet, and means for limiting the extent of movement of the said lever.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

ARTUR BUT TN ER.

conveying means, these means comprising a double-armed lever so arranged as to be adapted to be reciprocated in a vertical plane located obliquely with respect to the middle axes of the uppermost sheet, means for pressing the operating end of said lever onto said sheet, and means for regulating the strength of the pressure.

'5. A sheet laying-on device, especially for use in connection with printing presses, comprising, in combination with the table supporting the pile of sheets, aligning abutments provided at-sa-id table, and vertically reciprocating means for conveying the uppermost sheets to the place of use, means for shifting 

